The Walking Dead : Lee Everett

"Follow me."

He started walking toward the barn, his shoulders heavy with exhaustion but his steps resolute. The group hesitated, their eyes darting between one another. Kenny looked ready to object, but the weight of the moment held him back. Kenny exchanged a wary glance with Glenn before signaling for the others to stay alert. Guns were quietly readied as they trailed behind Lee.

The air outside was cool but carried a faint metallic tang of blood. Lee stopped in front of the generator by the barn, its low hum starkly contrasting the quiet tension. Without a word, he reached out and shut it off, plunging the area into deeper silence. He didn't want anyone to get hurt—not by the defenses the St. Johns had set up.

He pushed open the fence gate, the rusty hinges squealing, and then stepped up to the barn door. The scent of hay and animals wafted out as he swung it open, revealing a scene that momentarily broke the group's grim focus.

The barn was alive with movement. Three cows shifted nervously in their pen, their large eyes reflecting the dim light. Pigs grunted and snuffled in their stalls, oblivious to the tension. Chickens flapped and pecked at the dirt, their clucking adding strange normalcy to the scene. In the far corner, a lone horse stamped its hoof, its ears twitching at the commotion.

Lee barely glanced at the animals. His gaze was fixed on the far end of the barn, where a set of large wooden double doors stood like a sentinel. The group lingered at the entrance, unsure whether to marvel at the unexpected sight or keep their weapons at the ready.

As Lee approached the double doors, he pulled a key from his pocket—the one he'd taken from the farmhouse earlier. Its metal was still sticky with blood, but his hand didn't falter. The lock clicked open, and with a deliberate push, Lee swung the doors wide.

The space beyond was dark, the air heavy with the stench of decay and blood. The group instinctively recoiled as the gruesome scene came into view. Tools—cleavers, saws, hooks—hung from the walls, their edges gleaming faintly. The floor was stained a deep crimson, the marks smeared and uneven as though someone had been dragged. Chains dangled from the ceiling, their ends rusted but still formidable.

At the center of the room lay a man, his broken body sprawled on a makeshift cot. He was barely alive—his chest rising and falling in shallow, erratic breaths. Both legs were gone, crudely severed above the knees, and his left arm ended in a mangled stump. Blood-soaked bandages barely clung to his wounds, and his gaunt face was twisted in a mixture of pain and defiance.

The group froze, their horror palpable. Maggie let out a choked gasp, her hands flying to her mouth. Glenn turned away, his face contorted in revulsion. Even Kenny, hardened as he was, stood stunned, his earlier anger replaced by shock.

Lee stepped forward cautiously, his voice soft but firm. 

"I didn't do this."

The man on the cot stirred weakly, his one remaining eye fluttering open. He looked at Lee, then at the group behind him, and rasped a single word: 

"Monsters…"

Lee crouched near the broken man, his heart sinking at the sight of the brutalized figure before him. The man's chest barely rose and fell, and his face, pale and hollow, was etched with unbearable pain. Lee reached out to touch his chest, to confirm the faint flicker of life.

As his fingers made contact, the man's remaining hand shot forward with surprising speed, clutching a jagged piece of iron. He thrust it toward Lee, desperate and wild. Instinctively, Lee dodged, catching the man's wrist in a firm grip. The man glared at Lee with unbridled fury, but as his vision cleared, recognition dawned. The rage in his eyes melted into confusion and fear.

"You… you're not them" 

He rasped, his voice hoarse and cracked. 

"T-The brothers… they're monsters. Monsters! Leave! Leave before they get you."

His sobs broke through his words, filling the room with a haunting sorrow. Every tear he shed seemed to pierce the hearts of those standing behind Lee, watching in stunned silence.

"What happened to you?" 

Lee asked, though a pit had already formed in his stomach. He could guess the horrors this man had endured, but he needed to hear it—to solidify the justification for what he had done. He needed the truth, for himself and his group.

The man's body trembled, his voice wavering as he began to recount the nightmare. 

"M-My family… we had no food, no safety. We were desperate, so we came here… the brothers… they seemed so kind, so welcoming. They said they had plenty of food. My little girl… she hadn't eaten in two days. We believed them. We thought we'd found safety."

The man's face contorted in anguish. 

"Then… they turned on us. Held us at gunpoint. Tied us up. Threw us in this room. My daughter… my wife… they were the first. The brothers said women tasted better than men… and children were even better."

A collective gasp echoed from the group, some turning away to hide their tears.

"They took her arm first" 

The man continued, his sobs breaking through each word. 

"Then the other. Her legs. They… they butchered my family in front of me. Said they were saving me for last… because I'd last longer. They took my legs. My hand. They left me here because they thought I couldn't fight back."

The room fell into a suffocating silence, the group frozen in a mixture of rage, sorrow, and horror. Tears streaked Maggie's face. Kenny clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles whitened. Ava and Glenn stood in stunned disbelief, their breaths shallow.

The man's sobs quieted as his story ended, leaving the weight of his words to settle over them all. Finally, Lee broke the silence, his voice low but steady. 

"The St. Johns have been served."

The man's gaze snapped up, his tear-filled eyes locking onto Lee. 

"...What?" 

He asked, his voice trembling with hope and disbelief.

"I killed them" 

Lee said firmly. 

"I made them suffer for what they did. Tortured them in ways they could never imagine until they begged for death. They're gone now. They'll never hurt anyone again."

Lee lifted his hands, still smeared with blood. 

"This… this is their blood."

The man stared at him, his expression softening as tears welled up again. 

"...Thank you" 

He whispered, his voice filled with fragile gratitude. Before anyone could react, he raised the jagged piece of iron he had clung to and drove it into his own skull.

The room seemed to freeze in time. Lee knelt by the man's lifeless body, gently closing his eyes. The man's torment was over, his suffering ended by his own hand. Lee rose to his feet, his body heavy with exhaustion, and turned to face his group.

No one spoke. They couldn't. The weight of the moment had stolen their words.

Without a glance, Lee walked past them and out of the barn. After a minute of calm the group followed in silence, each step dragging as the reality of what they'd witnessed sank deeper into their minds.

Minutes later, Lee emerged from the farmhouse, carrying two lifeless bodies draped over his shoulders—the brother and their mother who had caused this suffering. His face was unreadable, his movements methodical. He headed toward the main fence gate, kicking it open and disappearing into the forest beyond.

Kenny hesitated only a moment before stepping forward. He grabbed Danny's corpse and hefted it onto his shoulder, following Lee without a word. The others exchanged uneasy glances, their grief and confusion etched into their faces.

They understood Lee's actions. They knew the horror he had faced and why he had done what he did. But understanding didn't erase the weight of what had happened.

However one thing was certain to the group, Lee had done a lot for them from the very beginning. His leadership had guided them through chaos, and his decisions, though often difficult, had kept them alive. But now, as they stood amidst the aftermath of his latest actions, questions burned in their minds—questions they couldn't ignore.

They needed to understand him, to comprehend the choices he made and the weight he carried. The truth about how Lee knew this place and the horrors it concealed demanded answers. And more than that, they needed to know what Lee planned to do next.

They exchanged glances. Their unspoken agreement was clear. It was time to confront Lee—not out of distrust, but out of necessity. If they were to follow him further, they had to know the truth, not only about this place but about the path he intended to lead them down.

The forest was eerily quiet, the only sounds coming from the rustling of leaves and the heavy footsteps of two men burdened by the weight of both corpses and conscience. The dim light filtering through the canopy seemed to darken with each step Lee took, Brenda and Andrew's lifeless bodies draped over his shoulders like grim trophies.

Behind him, Kenny trudged forward, Danny's corpse slung across his back. The silence between them was heavy, an unspoken understanding filling the space. Finally, they reached a small clearing, the ground soft and shaded by a towering oak tree.

Lee set the bodies down, his expression unreadable as he scanned the area. His gaze settled on the perfect spot beneath the tree, and he nodded to himself, grabbing the shovel he had carried from the farmhouse.

Without a word, he plunged the blade into the earth, the dull thud of metal against soil breaking the oppressive quiet. Each shovelful was a release, a physical manifestation of the inner turmoil twisting in Lee's chest. Sweat trickled down his brow, mingling with the blood and grime already smeared across his face.

"What do we do with them?" 

Kenny finally asked, his voice uncertain as he set Danny's body down beside the others.

Lee didn't stop digging, his movements steady and determined. 

"We bury them" 

He said simply, his tone devoid of emotion.

Kenny stared at Lee. 

"They were monsters, Lee. They don't deserve a burial" 

He said.

Lee paused, leaning on the shovel as he looked at Kenny, his eyes hollow but resolute. 

"They don't" 

He admitted, his voice low but firm. 

"But I'll give them one anyway."

Kenny sighed, understanding Lee's current mental condition, watching as Lee continued to dig. The hole grew wider and deeper. When it was done, Lee wiped his brow and gestured toward the first corpse.

Kenny grabbed Brenda's lifeless body and lowered it into the grave. He reached for the shovel to start covering her, but Lee held up a hand, stopping him.

"Put the others in too" 

Lee said, his voice tired. 

"Not digging separate graves for them."

Kenny hesitated but complied, lifting Danny's body and dropping it into the pit. Lee followed with Andrew's, letting him fall unceremoniously into the grave. The two men worked together to cover the bodies with soil, their movements methodical and silent.

When the last mound of dirt was packed, Lee stood over the grave, his shoulders slumped as he stared at the freshly turned earth. His lips parted slightly as if to speak, but no words came. Instead, he exhaled deeply, the weight of the moment pressing down on him.

"Let's go back" 

Lee finally said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Kenny nodded, his expression unreadable as he fell in step behind Lee. Together, they walked back toward the group.

The barn felt heavy with the weight of the day's events. Lee and Kenny entered, the sounds of the closing fence punctuating the quiet that had settled over the group. Everyone was waiting, eyes fixed on Lee, sensing the tension in the air. The air smelled faintly of hay and dust, a mixture of the farm's rustic charm and the dark events that had unfolded there. Lee didn't even look at them; instead, he sank to the ground, his back pressed against the rough wooden fence, the exhaustion from the day weighing on him like a boulder. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the stillness settle over him. His body was trembling slightly, the adrenaline still flowing through him, his heart pounding with the echo of violence he'd just enacted.

"Lee, you alright?" 

Maggie asked gently, stepping closer to him. She sat beside him, her eyes full of concern. She could see the toll it had taken on him, the way his hands still shook despite his attempt to steady them.

Lee barely glanced at her. His voice was hoarse, as if the words had been trapped in his throat for too long. 

"Yeah" 

He said, though the word was empty, hollow. 

"Let's start cleaning and get everyone here."

The rest of the group stood by the door, hesitant. They knew Lee needed time, but the silence was suffocating, each of them waiting for him to say something—anything. But he didn't, his focus entirely on the ground before him. It was clear that Lee wasn't ready to talk. He needed this time to himself, to process what had happened, to come to terms with the reality of his own actions.

Maggie, understanding the unspoken request for space, nodded and stood, ready to help set things in motion. The others exchanged glances, recognizing the need to give Lee time to rest and recover.

"Why did you leave the Motor Inn?" 

Lee suddenly asked, his voice breaking the quiet. The question caught everyone off guard. 

"Who's guarding the place?"

Maggie paused, the air thick with tension as she glanced back at the others before speaking. 

"Don't worry, You brother, your father, Shawn and My Dad are guarding the place, Why came here is because your mom woke up and was worried about you. We tried to contact you through the Walkie-Talkie, but you didn't respond. She was concerned, thinking something must have happened, so we decided to come find you. When we saw you running around the farm, we wanted to follow, but we stopped when we saw the St. John brothers at the farmhouse stairs."

Lee absorbed her words, nodding slowly. But before he could respond, Natasha's sharp voice interrupted him.

"You planned this all along, didn't you? You knew these cannibals lived here and came here specifically to take their place."

Her eyes were sharp, burning with intensity as her detective instincts flared to life. Piece by piece, the story came together in her mind, and the realization struck her with the force of a freight train.

Lee hesitated, Though he had prepared an excuse for it already

"Yeah" 

He admitted, his voice quieter now, subdued.

The group leaned in to hear Lee's explanation.

"I knew about them before all this" 

He began, his tone measured, heavy. 

"When I came to Macon to meet my parents, I stopped at the Motor Inn for fuel. That's when I noticed someone in the forest. It didn't feel right, so I followed them. I heard screams."

His voice cracked, and for a moment, Lee's gaze flicked down to his hands, His hands were still stained with blood.

"I wanted to get the hell out of there" 

He continued, voice steadier now. 

"But then I saw it. They were carrying a body—dragging it back to their home like it was nothing. That's when I realized what they were."

The group exchanged uneasy glances, but no one interrupted.

"I ran" 

Lee said simply. 

"Ran back to my family and got us out of there. Took them to Atlanta. I was going to go to the cops—report everything I saw—but then the world ended. Everything fell apart."

He paused, the firelight reflecting in his tired eyes.

"That's when I started thinking about their place again. How secure it was. How no one would ever bother to go near it because of the kind of people living there. I planned to come back, to kill them and take it for ourselves. I didn't have any other options—no other place I could think of that felt safe. It was always meant to be ours. They didn't deserve it."

The air was thick with tension, the weight of his confession pressing down on them all.

Kenny was the first to break the silence, his lips curling into a small, knowing smile.

"Hmph. And you said you were no Mastermind" He remarked, his voice light with a hint of dry amusement. 

"Looks like you had it all figured out."

Lee glanced at him, his expression unreadable. He wasn't in the mood for jokes, not now.

"Alright, let's start cleaning this place and bring the group here" 

Everyone could see that Lee was spent, his emotions a tangled mess, but the decisions had been made, and they needed to move forward. The group began cleaning the farmhouse in silence, each person lost in their thoughts as they worked. Lee, though physically drained, took charge, contacting the Motor Inn and ensuring the safety of their original group. He reminded them to stay vigilant and keep watch.

Hours passed, and the farmhouse began to feel like a true base—a place they could call home, at least for now.

As the last task was completed, everyone gathered in the farmhouse's main room, sitting in a circle around a table. It was quieter now, the weight of what they'd just been through slowly sinking in.

Lee stood at the edge of the group, his gaze distant. 

"Lee" 

Kenny looked at Lee with a mix of understanding and regret.

"I'm sorry, Lee. I didn't know what you had in mind" 

Kenny said, standing from his spot and stepping closer.

"If I'd known, I'd have done the same as you" 

He continued, placing a firm hand on Lee's shoulder. 

"You did nothing wrong. It was for the good. Those people didn't deserve this place."

Lee felt a weight lift from those words. He hadn't realized how much he needed them until Kenny spoke. A faint smile tugged at his lips. 

"Thanks, Kenny."

But Kenny wasn't done. He took a few steps back and leaned against the table, his tone shifting to something more serious. 

"Look, I get why you did it. You're thinking about your family. But we've got families too. We're in this together, Lee. You don't have to carry the whole burden yourself. Next time, you let me know. I'll come with you. None of us wants to kill, but when it's for our families, we'll do what we have to."

The room was silent as everyone nodded in agreement. Lee took a deep breath, the resolve in his voice steady as he spoke.

"Alright. Carly, Lilly, Kenny, and Ava—you'll head back to the Motor Inn for now. Let the others know we've found a place, but we're making sure it's safe. Me, Natasha, and Maggie will stay here and keep in contact."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the group. 

"And Kenny, you're right. The fight's far from over. Things are going to get harder, and I'll let you all know before anything happens. Whether you join me or not, that's your choice."

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the room, the group exchanged uncertain looks before heading out. Maggie, Natasha, and Lee stayed behind.

Lee worked in silence, his hands coated in dirt as he dug the grave just outside the farm. The man from the barn, a victim of the horrors wrought by the St. Johns, deserved at least this much—peaceful rest beneath the open sky.

As he placed the last handful of soil over the grave, Natasha's voice cut through the stillness behind him.

"I didn't buy that" 

She said quietly, almost too low to hear.

Lee paused, his brow furrowing as he turned to face her. 

"…What?"

"Your story" 

Natasha repeated, her tone sharper now. 

"I didn't buy it."

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